Gemotions

The photograph slid from Emily's grasp, fluttering to the floor like a wounded bird. Her great-aunt Susan, the celebrated philanthropist, was in the picture. The woman always spoke so highly of charity work. But here, the image was of her, laughing, seated at a lavish dinner, surrounded by men who were openly discussing a shady business deal.

Emily's stomach churned. The walls of the study seemed to close in, the air thick and cloying. A low hum filled her ears, a pressure building behind her eyes. All the stories, all the carefully crafted legacies, had been reduced to ash. She felt a burning need to escape, to run, to distance herself from the sudden, profound understanding of her family's deceit.

She needed to know more, but she wasn't sure if she could bear to.